Wreck-lifting device



Ma 31 I927. 1,630,994

y H. WICKS WRECK LIFTING DEVICE Filed May 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'INVEN OQ HERBERT WICKS.

May 31, 1927. 1,630,994

' H WICKS WRECK LI FTING DEVIQE Filed May 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I rwzm'o HEPBERT WICKS.

Patented May 31, 1927.

HERBERT wIcKs, OF'MIDLAND, oNTARIo ANAnAa WRECK-LIFTING nnvicn.

Application filed. May 5, 1926." Serial 110,106,945.

This invention relates to improvements in .wrecklifting devices, and the objects of the invention are to provide a durable and etficiently constructed device of this description particularly adapted for lifting wrecked and sunken ships of any length or width.

' Further objects are to provide a wreck lifting l'nechanism so constructed that the several parts will more efficiently perform the various functions required of them.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the combination with suitable boats or barges, of towers supported thereiina bridge crane supported by said towers, hoisting drums in the towers and mechanism operable fromthelboats or barges for winding said drums, and cables for connecting the drums with the wreck to be hoisted.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like characters of'reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the boat showing towers arranged therein.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view showing the towers of boats connected by the bridge crane. I

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, in which is shown a preferred form of my invention consisting of two towers although as many more as may be necessary can be used, 10 indicates boats on barges of any suitable construction and here shown as comprising three decks, 11, 12 and 13, with base or keel timbers 14. Mounted on the deck 11, within the boats, are metal towers 15 ofskeleton formation and here shown as substantially cone-shaped in side elevation. The supports 17 and 18 of the tower are rigidly connected to the deck 11 forming the base and to each of the decks thereabove 12, 13- and 16. The tower is also provided with a plurality of spaced bars 19 and diagonally connecting intersecting crossbars 20 and 21. The cross-bars 19 are formed with bearings 22 adapted to engage mover here shown in the form of an engine 27 with a horizontally arranged drive shaft 28 on which is mounted a bevelled gear 29 designed to mesh with a bevelled gear 30 keyed on a vertical stub shaft 31 having gear 26 on the vertical shaft 24 whereby the 1 latter-is rotated on the engine being started. ()n the shaft 28 a clutch 33 is provided and on the shaft 31 a clutch 34 of similar constructionis provided so that'the driving mechanism can be readily thrown into or out of gear. On the upper end of the main vertical shaft 24 is a worm 35 designed to mesh with a worm gear 36 mounted on a transverse shaft or spindle 37011 which is also mounted the hoisting drum 38 adjacent to which isprovided' a guide drum 39. Both these drums are located in the top of the towers and are provided with a hoisting cable 40 adapted to engage with a'wreck or thQ'llkG beneath the water whereby on the drums being operated through the mechanism already described the cable is tensioned ATE -NT rries-.

to lift the wreck between the tower-'carr ing barges 10.

Connecting thetowers on the barges is a bridge crane 41 to which are connectedthe angular braces 42. The member 41 also provides a supporting meansfor the guide drums 38. This crane bridge may be separated to allow barges to pass through canals. 4 In operation, the tower-carrying barges are "aligned'one on each side above a wreck which has been located, and cables are then passed therearound and the hoisting mechanismsetin motion to liftthe wreck. By the use of the clutch 34 on the shaft 31 each cable can be tensioned separately;

Tn the example illustratedtwo towers with hoisting drums are shown but any number of towers or hoisting drums, according to the length of the boat or barge upon which 15 they are erected, can be used and by multiplying the number it is possiblev to operate with any number of hoisting cables accord- 1 ing to the size of the wreck. If a wreck is lying on its side, cables on the one sidecan be held tight while cables on the other side can be tensioned to bring the wreck into an even position. Then, the operation of tensioning can be exerted on both cables at once. The device is so designed that when the wreckis held in position bv the lifting or hoist-inc cables it is impossible for the cables to unwind.

:Forperm1tt1ng movement of the structure, and at the same time reinforcing it, the

brace rods 42 are pivotally connected, as at,

43 and 44, to the tower and bridge respecmounted in the towers.

tively. To enable the bridge to 1nove.longitudinally I provide rollers 45 and 46 The cable winding drum 38, previously referred to, is supported by brackets 47 pivotally connected to the tower and provided with rollers 48 adapted, to travel on the top of the. bridge when the latter moves. A further brace member 50 is provided between the two barges and pivotally connected thereto as at 51.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and fmany apparently widely different embodiments of my invention, within the scope of the claims, constructed without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, itis intended that all 1nat ter contain-ed in the accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A wreck lifting device comprising, in

combination, a barge or boat, a skeleton tower rigidly mounted. in said boat, hoist ing drums rotatably mounted in said tower,

lifting cables for said drums, and means for operating said drum-s from within the boat comprising a prime mover, a horizontally extending drive shaft, a vertically eX- tending shaft rotatably supported in the tower, a gear on the drum shaft, a worm on the vertical shaft adapted to mesh with said gear, and gear and shaft means intermetatably mounted winding drum at the top, of a vertical shaft lnsaid bearings provided with a worm and a gear on the drum shaft adapted to'mesh with said worm, a gear on the lower end of the-vertical shaft, an intermediate vertical shaft provided with a spur gear adapted to mesh with the aforementioned gear, a gear on the opposite end of the intermediate shaft, a horlzontally arranged drive shaft, and a gear on the drive shaft adapted to mesh with the last-mentioned gear on the intermediate vertical shaft whereby, on the drive shaft being operated, the intermediate shaft is operated to in turn operate the vertical. drum operatlng shaft, clutch means for the'intermediate shaft and a clutch forthe drive shaft.

3. In a dev ice of the character described the combination, with barges, of skeleton metal towers rigidly secured -within the barges and extending vertically thereabove, a brldge member connectingsaid, towers and roller hearings in the towers for adjusts ably supporting said bridge, cross=brace rods pivotally connectedto the towers and the bridge and a brace member between the barges pivotally connected at each end to the barges. V i i 4. In a wreck lifting device of the character described the combination, with barges, of towers rigidly mounted therein, a movably mounted bridge for the towers, pivotally connected cross braces for the bridge and towers and pivotally mounted brace means connecting the barges.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. r

' 'HERBERT WIGKS. g 

